 | |
List Price: $24.99 | | Publisher: Crown
Salesrank: 9399
Released: July 14, 2009 |
| Our Price: $14.84 |
| Used Price: $13.00 |
|
| Media: Hardcover |
|
Editorial Review:
In 2007, David Beckham, the golden boy of soccer, shocked the international sports world when he signed a five-year contract with an American team, the Los Angeles Galaxy. Under the direction of his manager, Simon Fuller, the mastermind behind American Idol and the Spice Girls, Beckham was ready for a monumental challenge and a risky adventure–ready, as Fuller put it, to earn his stripes Stateside. Could he pull off what no player had ever accomplished (including Pelé in the 1970s) and transform soccer into one of the most popular spectator sports in America? It was a bold experiment: failure meant a team, a league, a sport, and Beckham himself might miss their chance to hit primetime in the U.S.
With unprecedented access to the Galaxy and one-on-one interviews with Beckham, veteran Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl focuses on the inner circle of the experiment: Beckham, Galaxy leading scorer Landon Donovan, Simon Fuller, controversial former coach Ruud Gullit, outspoken former Galaxy president Alexi Lalas, and Mrs. Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham. Wahl takes readers behind the scenes, on the road with the team and inside the locker room, to reveal just what happened on and off the field when the most renowned player in the world left the glamour of European soccer to play in a country that has yet to fully embrace the sport. We find out what his teammates really think of their superstar captain, who was calling the shots behind the scenes, how Beckham’s management conducted a shadow takeover of the Galaxy organization, and if the team plans to embrace him–or not–when he returns from AC Milan for the 2009 season.
The Beckham Experiment is a no-holds-barred account of ego clashes and epic winless streaks, rivalries and resentments, big gambles and great expectations, cultural and class collisions, and ultimately the volatile mix of celebrity and professional sports. As Beckham embarks on his third season with the Galaxy, the question remains: even for a player the caliber of David Beckham, are some goals out of reach?
The Beckham Experiment: How the World's Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America Reviews:
Best sports book of the year! 
2009-11-29 - I have to confess that I don't read many sports books - and those I do read tend to be biographies of cricket/rugby players, with a sprinkling of football (soccer) books thrown in. Those books don't tend to be anything special. But "The Beckham Experiment" has to be hands down the best sports book I've read. Not only is it about Beckham the football player, but it is also about Beckham the brand - a combination of sports and business. This had the potential to be off putting for a sports fan, but the author has done a fantastic job of combining these two elements of the Beckham Experiment, writing a readily accessible and enjoyable read of Beckham's ill fated dabble in the MLS.
Beckham's move to the US was always going to be either a spectacular success or a spectacular failure, and quite clearly by mid 2009 it is the latter. I can't claim to be a devoted follower of football, but I was certainly aware of Beckham's move to the Galaxy. But until I read this book, I had no real knowledge of the MLS - Wahl has done a good job of introducing the workings of the MLS without impacting on the pace of the story. There is also consideration given to the politics and business decisions that can be involved in the running of a football club. The involvement of big business (AEG) in Beckham's shift to the Galaxy is not surprising - but the degree of manipulation and control over the management of the team is quite astonishing. Right from the start, it is readily apparent that signing with the Galaxy also represented a skillful business move by Beckham and his advisers.
Wahl has delved deep into the personalities in the team in the course of preparing this book, and has done a warts and all expose. There is some fingerpointing here - but Wahl is reasonable in his criticism, and puts a good case forward as to why just about everyone needs to take some responsibility for the fiasco that resulted during the LA Galaxy's campaign in the 2007 and particularly the 2008 season. One of the most surprising relevations from the book is Ruud Gullit's performance as a coach. I was astonished that he appears to have little idea what he was doing, and was unable to adjust to the US scene. I felt some sympathy for the players - I guess I fell victim to the general perception that as professional sportsmen in a first world country, they would be well paid, which as it transpires is not the case for the majority of the players. This is one of the highlights of the book - the perspectives of some of the lesser lights in the team on Beckham, and the impact he had on the team.
This book has everything going for it - a superstar football player, a team falling apart, outspoken former associates of the team, all skillfully put together in a totally enjoyable - and easy (I read this in the course of a weekend) - read. Easily the best sports book I've ever read, and probably one of the best books of the year for me. Recommended to anyone interested in football, learning about the MLS, and the global phenomenon that is David Beckham.
Beckham Experiment Doesn't Bend Around Embarrassment 
2009-11-20 - This is a must read for anyone who follows the MLS closely and the overwhelming publicity that surrounded the arrival of David Beckham in the U.S. a couple years ago to play for the LA Galaxy. Grant Wahl was given unprecidented access to players, coaches and executives to carve out one of the most tell-all tales in recent domestic soccer history.
For all the controvercy surrounding Landon Donovan's candid comments in the book and the sometimes squeamish statements made by Beckham himself, it tells a story of outsiders attempting to (poorly) adapt to an American soccer league and a slew of American players getting dissed on a regular basis. Donovan's comments seem justified and had several other players been more vocal, it may not have seemed like sour grapes - as the media seems to have portrayed.
However sincere and loyal Beckham may have truly been, it really seems like he got nutmegged by his personal handlers and then fled out of frustration. Wahl never makes the reader feel like they are reading gossip and gives equal time to all parties involved. A truly entertaining and informative read.
A sports chronicle key for any serious soccer collection
2009-11-16 - THE BECKHAM EXPERIMENT: WHO THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS ATHLETE TRIED TO CONQUER AMERICA tells of a European soccer champ who let the security of his home sport to begin a risky new venture in the U.S. His goal was to increase the popularity of soccer in this country and make himself known to Americans: THE BECKHAM EXPERIMENT follows his American experience and uses interviews with Beckham himself to spice a sports chronicle key for any serious soccer collection.
Intriguing stuff
2009-10-15 - Really enjoyed the book. I was especially interested in getting an inside look at the dealings of a team with multimillion Beckham and minimum paid guys. Reading about some of the hotels they were stuck at and detail stuff added some real color to the book and I enjoyed it. The way that the coaches handled the pressure and the contrasting styles was interesting as well. Overall I would recommend the book and I learned stuff even though I have followed the Beckham saga.
Becks Experiment
2009-10-01 - The book arrived in perfect condition; however,it took 4 weeks to arrive from the day I ordered. Other than that, It is a great value compare to retail stores.
